Ber. Do you think, I am fo far deceiv'd in him? 1 Lord. Believe it, my lord, in mine own direct knowledge, without any malice, but to speak of him as my kinfman; he's a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker, the owner of no one good quality worthy your lordship's entertainment. 2 Lord. It were fit you knew him; left, repofing too far in his virtue, which he hath not, he might at fome great and trufty business, in a main danger, fail you. Ber. I would, I knew in what particular action to try him. Lord. None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you hear him fo confidently undertake to do. 1 Lord. I, with a troop of Florentines, will fuddenly furprize him; fuch I will have, whom, I am fure, he knows not from the enemy: we will bind and hood-wink him fo, that he fhall fuppofe no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of the adversaries, when we bring him to our own tents: Be but your lordship prefent at his examination; if he do not, for the promise of his life, and in the highest compulfion of base fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine forfeit of his foul upon oath, never truft my judgment in any thing. 2 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he says, he has a ftratagem for't: when your When your lordship fees the bottom of bis fuccefs in't, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of ours will be melted, if you give him net John Drum's entertainment, your inclining cannot be remov'd.] Lamp of ours has been the reading of all the editions. Ore, according to my emendation, bears a confonancy with the other terms accompanying, (viz. metal, lump and melted) and helps the G 2 propriety your lordship fees the bottom of his fuccefs in't, and to what metal his counterfeit lump of ore will be melted, if you give him not John Drum's entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he comes. Enter Parelles. 1 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the humour of his defign; let him fetch off his drum in any hand. Ber. propriety of the poet's thought: for fo one metaphor is kept up, and all the words are proper and fuitable to it. But, what is the meaning of John Drum's entertainment? Lafeu feveral times afterwards calls Parolles, Tom Drum. But the difference of the Chriftian name will make none in the explanation. There is an old motly interlude, (printed in 1601) call'd Jack Drum's Entertainment: Or, the Comedy of Pafquil and Katharine. In this, Jack Drum is a fervant of intrigue, who is ever aiming at projects, and always foil'd, and given the drop. And there is another old piece (publish'd in 1627) call'd, Apollo sproving, in which I find thefe expreffions: Thuriger. Thou lozel, bath Slug infected you? Why do you give fuch kind entertainment to that cobweb? Scopas. It shall have Tom Drum's entertainment; a flap with a fox-tai!. But both thefe pieces are, perhaps, too late in time, to come to the affistance of our author: fo we must look a little higher. What is faid here to Bertram is to this effect. 66 My lord, as 66 you have taken this fellow [Parolles] into fo near a confidence, if, upon his being found a counterfeit, don't cafhier him "from your favour, then your attachment is not to be remov❜d." you I'll now fubjoin a quotation from Holinghed, (of whofe books Shakespeare was a moft diligent reader) which will pretty well afcertain Drum's hiñory. This chronologer, in his defcription of Ireland, fpeaking of Patrick Scarfefield, (mayor of Dublin in the year 1551) and of his extravagant hofpitality, fubjoins, that no guest had ever a cold or forbidding look from any part of his family: fo that his porter or any other officer, durft not, for both his ears, give the fimpleft man, that reforted to his houfe, Tom Drum's entertainment, which is, to hale a man in by the head, and thurft him out by both the fhoulders. THEOBALD. 3 in avy hand.] The ufual phrase is—at any hand, but in any Ber. How now, monfieur? this drum fticks forely in your difpofition. 2 Lord. A pox on't, let it go; 'tis but a drum. Par. But a drum! Is't but a drum? A drum fo loft! There was an excellent command! to charge in with. our horfe upon our own wings, and to rend our own foldiers. 2 Lord. That was not to he blamed in the command of the fervice; it was a difafter of war that Cæfar himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to command. Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success: fome difhonour we had in the lofs of that drum; but it is not to be recover'd. Par. It might have been recover'd, Ber. It might; but it is not now. Par. It is to be recover'd: but that the merit of fervice is feldom attributed to the true and exact performer, I would have that drum or another, or kic jacet Ber. Why, if you have a stomach to't, monfieur, if you think your mystery in ftratagem can bring this inftrument of honour again into its native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprize, and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you speed well in it, the Duke fhall both fpeak of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatnefs, even to the utmost fyllable of your worthiness. Par. By the hand of a foldier, I will undertake it. Ber. But you must not now flumber in it. Par. I'll about it this evening: and I will pre any hand will do. It is ufed in Holland's Pliny p. 456.—" he must be a free citizen of Rome in any hand." Again p. 508, 553, and 546. STEEVENS. * I will presently pen down my dilemmas,] By this word, Parolles is made to infinuate that he had feveral ways, all equally certain, of recovering his drum. For a dilemma is an argument. that concludes both ways. WARBURTON. G 3 fently sently pen down my dilemma's, encourage myself in my certainty, put myself into my mortal preparation; and, by midnight, look to hear further from me. Ber. May I be bold to acquaint his grace, you are gone about it? Par. I know not what the fuccefs will be, my lord; but the attempt I vow. Ber. I know, thou art valiant; and, to the ' poffibility of thy foldierfhip, will fubfcribe for thee. Farewel. Par. I love not many words. [Exit. 1 Lord. No more than a fifh loves water.-Is not this a ftrange fellow, my lord, that fo confidently feems to undertake this bufinefs, which he knows is not to be done; damns himself to do, and dares better be damn'd than do't? 2 Lord. You do not know him, my lord, as we do certain it is, that he will steal himself into a man's favour, and, for a week escape a great deal of difcoveries; but when you find him out, you have him ever after. Ber. Why, do you think, he will make no deed at all of this, that so seriously he does address himfelf unto? 2 Lord. None in the world; but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lies: but we have almoft imbofs'd him, you fhall 6 Pofibility of thy foldiership,] Dele thy: the fenfe requires it. WARBURTON. There is no occafion to omit this word. I will fubfcribe (lays Bertram) to the poflibility of your foldiership. He fuppreffes that he should not be fo willing to vouch for its probability. STEEVENS. We have almost imboffed him.] To imbofs a deer is to inclose him in a wood. Milton ufes the fame word: Like that flf-begotten bird In th' Arabian woods emboft, Which no fecond knows or ibird. JOHNSON. fee fee his fall to-night; for, indeed, he is not for your lordship's respect. 1 Lord. We'll make you fome fport with the fox, ere we cafe him. He was first smok'd by the old lord Lafeu when his difguife and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you fhall find him; which you fhall fee, this very night. 2 Lord. I must go and look my twigs; he shall be caught. Ber. Your brother, he fhall go along with me. 2 Lord. As't please your lordship. I'll leave you. [Exit. Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and fhew you The lafs I fpoke of. 1 Lord. But you fay, fhe's honeft. Ber. That's all the fault: I fpoke with her but once, And found her wondrous cold; but I fent to her, By this fame coxcomb that we have i'the wind, Tokens and letters, which fhe did re-fend; And this is all I have done: She's a fair creature; Will you go fee her? 1 Lord. With all my heart, my lord. SCENE VII. Florence. The Widow's boufe. Enter Helena, and Widow. [Exeunt. Hel. If you mifdoubt me that I am not she, "Ere we cafe bim.] This is, before we ftrip him naked. JOHNSON. But I fball lofe the grounds I work upon.] i. e. by difcovering herfelf to the count, WARBURTON. r |